


Hell is Empty

by Lady_Nightshade30



Series: We are Autobots [7]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Death, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Starvation, Torture, Violence, near rape, possible triggers, water boarding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-09 20:15:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7815595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Nightshade30/pseuds/Lady_Nightshade30
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hell is Empty

**Author's Note:**

> Please be advised that some of the things that will be written about in this story will be uncomfortable to read. I will try to add more specific tags after I write the second chapter because I am not sure just how much torture Meri will go through in that one. 
> 
> I will also probably rewrite the woods scene.
> 
> I don't own anything save for Meri and Morgan

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Hawaii’s sun was starting its ascent above the horizon when the inhabitants of the self proclaimed House of Technology were awakened by the sound of their alarm clocks and the smell of coffee. Showers were had. And pancakes were made. Along with eggs and bacon. Finally everyone settled down for a quick breakfast. When it was over half the people went to grab their own showers and finish getting ready for work. While the others made up to go cups of coffee for everyone or loaded the dishwasher. 

All in all it was an everyday, perfect morning. 

But the perfect morning would not last long.

While Meri Banes was throwing in the last of her supplies into her messenger bag the phone rang. Looking back later she would come to realize the phone call was an omnious omnen. 

“Hey Kaela,” Meri said, a smile spreading across her face. 

“Hey sweetie. Are you ready for your final exam of the semester?”

“Yeah. How is packing going?” Are you guys still coming for a week on Saturday?”

“Don’t worry we are going to be there.” 

“Is Bumblee coming too or is he still on that recon mission for Optimus?”

“Still on a mission. Speaking of Bots. How are things going between you and Drift?”

“Pretty good I guess. I just wish he’d talk to me more.”

“Well. Drift was always a quiet Bot. And Optimus did say he has opened up a lot more now that he is with you. I mean that’s something right?”

“Maybe I just don’t know where I stand with him. And when I tried to ask him he changed the subject.”

“Well maybe Optimus sending him on a mission to meet the new arrivals will be good for you both.”

“Maybe.”

“Trust me. Sometimes people need sometime apart. If he still doesn’t want to talk-. Sam? What was that noise?”

“Is everything okay Kaela?”

After a moment of silence Mikaela came back on the line. “Yeah I think Sam just dropped a glass.”

“Okay.”

Meri was about to say something else when the sound of a door hitting the wall violent came from her cousin’s side of the line. 

“Who the fu-?”

“Kaela?” Meri whispered, when her cousin’s question was cut off and a strange chocking sound filled her air. “Kaela?”

The only sound she heard was a strangled choking noise and Meri felt tears fill her eyes. Her mind started to race as she tried to place the sound when she heard rough laughter on the other side of the phone.

“Hey look!” crowed a male voice. “She’s chocking on her own blood.”

“What?” whispered Meri.

“Good bye Autobot whore. Don’t worry we’ll be there for you soon enough.”

The phone went dead and the sound of glass breaking came from downstairs. The sound of feet running up the stairs and down the hall. Maggie slammed into her bedroom and grabbed the phone out of her hand. The blonde immediately crouched down and started dragging boxes out from under Meri’s bed.

“Get under the bed.” The older woman ordered keeping her voice low and pulling Meri down beside her, her painted nails digging into Meri’s skin.

“Whats going on?” Meri asked. 

“I don’t know but you need to get under the bed.” That said the blonde woman started pushing the red headed girl beneath her bed and shoving the boxes back into place. “Whatever happens. Don’t do or say anything.”

Meri felt her heart pound in her chest as she watched Maggie leave the room from a crack between the boxes. Downstairs she could hear things breaking as Morgan, Maggie’s lawyer girlfriend, started yelling and demanding an explanation as well as a search warrant. The sound of a gun going off, followed by the sound of screams caused Meri to start and slam her head against the bottom of her bed. 

“Glenn!” screamed Maggie.

Meri whimpered and pressed both hands over her mouth to muffle the sound of her sobs as she listened to the hell that was happening. The sounds of violence continued for a few more minutes before silence descended the house. She lay there for what seemed like several hours, straining to hear anything over the sound of her own pounding heart. Finally she slowly placed both hands on the cold wooden floor and started to move, only to freeze when she heard the soft creaking of the steps down the hall. Her heart started pounding again and she whimpered as she pushed herself farther back into the shadows of her bed. Pressing herself as close as possible to the far corner. She pressed her knuckle into her mouth to stiffle the whimper as feet with thick, military boots appeared in her room. She waited as they moved around the room and scrunched her eyes shut, hoping they wouldn’t think to look under the bed. 

She waited in silence with her heart pounding before she heard them slowly leave the room. She counted to twenty before she slowly opened first one eye and then the other. Her eyes flickered around what she could make out of the room between the boxes to make sure she no one was there before she slowly uncurled herself beneath the bed and released a slow breath. She placed both hands on the floor again and started counting again as she listened for anymore sound of the intruders. 

The sound of her phone going off startled her and she scrambled to silence it before it alerted anyone to her prescence. At first she was going to decline, but upon seeing the name STEVE, on her screen answered it instead.

“Steve?” she whispered.

“Meri?” he asked his tone sharp and alert. “What’s-?”

The sudden feeling of hands wrapping around her ankles, drew a blood curling scream from her. “Help!”

Meri fought for purchase against the slick wooden floor with her hands, her nails digging a bit into the wood, as she was yanked out from beneath the bed. Cell phone forgotten. The hands around her ankles released hers and before she could scramble away they wrapped around her upper arms and yanked her up off the floor. A dark burlap bag was yanked over her head and something slammed against the back of her head plunging her world into darkness.

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Steve McGarrett arrived at his neighbor’s house with the rest of Five-O to a blood bath. 

“Shit Glen!” Steve cursed and rushed to Glen’s side while the others started clearing the house. 

Steve drew a deep breath and knelt by his friend’s side as he checked for any sign of life, sighing in defeat when he found none. 

“Anything?” he asked when the others joined him in the kitchen. 

They all shook their heads as Danny handed him Meri’s cellphone. Steve wasn’t surprised. He looked around again. Taking in all the carnage and blood. And wondered where the hell the others were. A part of him hoped that no one else was home. But there was too much destruction and blood for that to be true. Plus Meri had obviously been home when things had gone down.

He ran a hand down his face as Meri’s cellphone started ringing and the screen bore the word Will. “Alright. Let’s start processing everything. Hey Will. I’ve got some bad news…”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

When they pulled the hood off of Meri’s head she saw Maggie and the others laying face down on the forest floor with their hands secured behind them. Each of them had a man standing above them, with a boot in the middle of their backs and a gun pointed at the back of their heads.

“What’s going on?” she stammered staring at the back of their heads.

“Let me make this very clear to you what will happen if you don’t answer my questions.” The leader said cold before nodding to the one standing above Morgan. 

Meri screamed when the gun went off, the bullet silently piercing through the air through the woman’s head. Morgan’s blood seeped out of from the back of her head and started mixing with her black hair. Meri could make out Maggie’s sobs even with the dirt that was no doubt filling her mouth. 

“You son of a bitch,” screamed Reggie, trying to get to his feet. 

The man behind him slammed his boot against his head, causing the curly dirty blonde hair to tinge itself with at first pink then red as blood started to seep through the new gash in his skull as he slumps back to the ground. Victor glares at them, his black glasses having been broken at somepoint in the skuffle. As Patrick mumbles a soft prayer, the same one over and over again into the dirt. 

“First question.”

Meri doesn’t listen, not at first, as the man in charge starts passing back and forth while he asks the question. She is too busy staring at the blood that is seeping into the ground, providing nourishment for the plants, from Morgan and Reggie’s heads. She breathes in a shuddering breath as the blood pools start to mix together and the tears that are filling her eyes blur the image as her pounding heart drowns everything else out. A sharp slap to the side of her face brings her slamming back down to what is happening around her, along with the sweet coopery taste of blood on her tongue.

“Tell me bitch.” The man spits. “How many of your friends am I going to have to make an example of before you pay attention?”

A sliver of fear races up her spine and she tried not to imagine what had happened. The cold smile on the man’s face told her, that not knowing wasn’t an option. But nothing had been able to prepare her for the sight of Reggie’s head busted in with a heavy boot placed where his skull should be. Meri gagged at the sight and promptly threw up all over herself, much to the amusement of the men around her. 

“I will ask again.” The man said. “Where is Optimus Prime?”

Meri struggled to breath and form words between the terror that was happening around her as well as the snot and gunk that had made its way into her nose when she had thrown up. 

“Don’t tell these bastards anything Meri!” Victor snapped.

The man in charge gave a brief nod and one of the men slammed his boot down on Victor’s head, causing the man to curse throw up and curse violently.

“Who’s life will you end this time?” The man asked, his dark grin widening. 

Meri shuddered and stared down at her remaining friends who were all staring back at her with calm determination in their eyes, balanced out by fear. Meri breathed in again and turned back to the man, sniffling.

And she spat on the man, hitting him with some of the snot and gunk that had been in her nose.

The man sighed, both in disappointment and in a twisted glee, as he gave the signal and Victor’s head was stabbed straight through with a knife. By now Maggie’s sobs had quieted down into soft sniffles and Patrick had stopped praying, both were patiently waiting for their turn to die. 

The man laughed darkly. “Boy you little bitches are stubborn. I don’t know if you are brave, stupid, or just to scared to answer.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Patrick hissed.

Meri blinked in surprise. Patrick had never cussed before in his life. And had it been any other time she would have laughed, but the situation was too grave for comedy. No matter how dark. Though the profanity seemed to amuse their captors even more then the deaths did. 

“Sorry. You aren’t our type.”

Meri started screaming again when they reached for Maggie and started to tear at her clothes. The blonde woman started cursing and kicking out at their reaching hands to no avail. Patrick really started cussing them out then. Finally one of them climbed onto her chest and started undoing his pants, pulling our his hardened errection. He grabbed her hair by its roots and tilted her head back while pinching down roughly on her nose, breaking it. Maggie gagged on the blood that flooded into her mouth and again when the hardened piece of flesh was shoved uncerimonously into her mouth. 

“That’s right bitch suck on it. Suck on it hard.”

Maggie promptly bit down on it. Hard. 

The man screamed in pain and rage as he yanked his pensis out uncermonously, causing Maggie’s teeth to scrap against the sensitive flesh. He started screaming an unending stream of profanities while slamming his fist repeatedly against the blonde’s face. Patrick and Meri both struggled against the hold their captors had on them. 

“Fucking bitch.” The rapist spat when he was done climbing off the blonde’s bloodied corpse and situating his pants. 

“Fucking dumbass.” The leader sighed shaking his head at his subordinate before turning his attention back to Meri. “Now last chance to save your final friend. Where is Optimus Prime?” 

Meri took a deep breath shared a look with Patrick, who slowly shook his head before closing his eyes, before turning her attention back to the leader. And once again spat on him.

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Kono took a shuddering breath as she stared down at the carnage and looked away. She sniffed slightly and touched the back of her hand to her nose.

“Hey.” Chin said softly. “Why don’t you take a break?”

“No.” Kono said softly, breathing deeply. “I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“Okay.”

The cousins turned their attention back to the five bodies on the forest floor and sighed before Chin pulled out his cellphone. 

“Steve.” He said the moment his boss picked up. “We got good news. And we got bad news.”

“What’s the good news?”

“We found everyone but Meri?”

“I guess the bad news is you found everyone but Meri?”

“Yeah.”

“Damnit. Where?”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.


	2. And All the devils Are Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A list of the links I used for information on Pneumonia and the effects of solitary confinement
> 
> http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2015/spring/corcoran
> 
> http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/pneumonia-symptoms
> 
> I don't own anything but Meri.

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri gasped in surprise as she was slammed down into a hard, metal chair and her hands were secured to the legs. She blinked, disoriented at the bright lights that were shining in her face, once the sack was removed from her head. She gagged at the horrible smell that overwhelmed her. The remains of her vomiting had hardened and caked itself onto her top and chin. There was also the rancid smell of her own body odor because she couldn’t remember the last time she had been allowed to shower. Because after she had witnessed the horrible murders of her friends, her head had been covered by the sack again and she had been tossed into a trunk. She had no idea how long she had been in there or even where she was and once the car had stopped she had been dragged from the trunk and tossed into a dark room, where she had been left to her own pitiful devices.

“Since you don’t care about what happens to your friends.” Came the leader’s voice from somewhere beyond the brightness breaking into her thoughts. “Maybe you will care more about your own safety.”

She looked around wildly, trying desperately to pinpoint the voice. But it seemed to come from all sides and none at all at the same time. 

“Where is Optimus Prime?”

Meri took a shuddering breath and looked wildly around, trying to figure out where she was.”Where am I?”

She heard movement and tried to follow the sound, but she couldn’t see beyond the bright lights or the shadows of the room. 

A hand slammed into the back of her head and she felt someone breathing against her ear. “I am the one asking the questions here. Now I will ask again. Where is Optimus Prime?”

Meri closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was sure was to come because she knew in her heart that the chances of being rescued were less than five percent. But she would try to hold off as long as she could before breaking. And maybe, if she were lucky, they would get bored with her or just plain angry enough with her; that they would just kill her and be done with it.

She opened her eyes and stared straight ahead defiantly. “My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.”

There was a disgusted grunt followed by another sharp slap against her head. “Where is Optimus Prime?”

“My name is-.”

She heard more movement as the man walked around her and to stand in front of her. She glared at him and spat out the blood in her mouth in his direction. He reacted by backhanding her across her face. Her tongue darted out to taste the blood that trailed down the corner of her mouth. 

The man crouched before her, his face still obscured by her vision. “You’re going to make this so fucking difficult aren’t you?”

Meri continued to glare at him defiantly before she spat at him. 

He sighed. “That’s what I thought. Guess you really are stupid bitch. Oh well. Hard way it is then. But I’ve got no problem with that. No problem at all.”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Will’s phone rang and he answered it has he and Robert got their wives and kids settled into one of the safe houses that had been kept off the books; with a few of the remaining members of NEST who would protect them for the time being. 

“What have you got Steve?” he asked answering the phone well aware that all activity had stopped the moment he spoke. 

“Nothing new unfortunately.” Steve answered. “Joe agreed to pick you up at the appointed time tomorrow to bring you to the island. What about you guys? Anything?”

“We’ve found more members of NEST. Some were just murdered, execution style, others were tortured for information. Based on how long it’s taking them to find us all. I am hoping it means that no one’s broken. But there’s no telling without talking to one of the bastards that are doing it themselves.”

Steve sighed. “And even then they could just say they broke just to be an ass about it.”

“Yeah.”

Will watched Annabelle approach him, carrying one of her favorite stuffed animals with her. 

“Okay good. Hey Steve give me a minute. Anna honey I don’t-.”

“Daddy give this to Meri when you find her. K?”

Will sighed after a moment and exchanged a look with Robert, who was accepting a stuffed animal from one of his own kids, before he accepted the stuffed animal. “Okay sweetie. I’ll do that.”

Steve was silent for a moment having listened to the entire conversation. “You know the chances of us finding Meri alive after all this time isn’t high.”

Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. And that every day that passes we have a smaller and smaller chance of finding her alive. But I made a promise to bring her home dead or alive.”

“Yeah.” Steve said softly. “I hear ya.”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri gasped as she was yanked roughly out of the bucket of ice cold water by her hair. She sputtered for air as she coughed out as much water as possible. 

“Where is Optimus Prime?” The leader asked sticking to the shadows of the room. 

She ignored him instead focusing on attempting to breathe air again and expel the rest of the water from her lungs. She started shivering as the cold air began drying the equally cold water off of her skin and between gasps for breath her teeth chattered against the cold. For a few minutes the only sound in the room was Meri’s desperate breathing before her head was once again ducked into the water. She thrashed about desperately in an attempt to get some air into her lungs, as opposed to just water, but whoever was holding her down held her firmly beneath the water.

The leader laughed as she was pulled up again. “You can make this easy on yourself if you just answer my questions.”

Meri answered by coughing up some more water.

“Hard way it is then. Your uncle would be so proud. He was the same way before I gutted him and left him to be eaten alive by some of our dogs.”

“You fucking son of a –.” 

And with that Meri was shoved back under the water.

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri gasped for breath as she was yanked out of the near boiling water. She coughed up as much water as she could while struggled to get air back into her lungs. 

“All you have to do is tell me what I want to know.” The leader said pacing around the shadows of the cold room. “And it will stop.”

“My name is Meri Banes-.”

The leader sighed in disappointment and signaled for the men to continue. And they did by shoving her face into ice water.

“You are such a disappointment. No one wonder your daddy murdered your mother and shot himself. He probably couldn’t stand the sight of you anymore.”

Meri glared at him, ignoring the water dripping into her eyes as she struggled to break free from the ropes that kept her hands tied behind her back. If she was lucky, she could get at least one good swing in before they managed to stop her. But that all depended on how much energy she had left after getting out of her bonds, assuming she wasn’t caught of course, because she hadn’t in what felt like days. Or at least she hadn’t eaten a lot. At most they were probably feeding her one meal, a word she used very loosely, a day. The moment she felt the ropes start to loosen she was slammed back into the hot water and she screamed internally as the scoorching water rushed down her throat and nose. When she was finally yanked back up she broke free of the final knot and the ropes slipped off of her arms.

She slammed her elbow into his stomach. This was followed with a blow to the nose. She surged to her feet, swaying slightly as her vision swam before her eyes, before rushing the leader. The feeling of electricity rushing through her system stopped her dead in her tracks and she collapsed to the ground. Pain surging through her as the jolts of electricity made her muscles spasm. 

“Good try bitch.” The leader taunted. “But not good enough.”

The man slammed his fist into her face and she blacked out. 

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Danny and Steve waited in a secluded area on Dakota’s property for Joe to arrive with William Lennox and Robert Epps. Who had been fighting and searching for survivors on the mainland since shit had hit the proverbial fan a month ago. The two NEST members were coming into town to help with the search for Meri, having stashed their family members in a NEST safe house, who was still missing. Based on the most recent phone conversations with the two men, it was very unlikely the young woman was alive. Or at the very least it wasn’t likely she would be alive for long. Because they had found other NEST members who based on the evidence on their corpses had been tortured for information. So far though no one had broken as far as they could tell and the sadistic bastards had simply killed their victims because they had gotten bored or to avoid getting caught. 

“So what do you think the chances are of her surviving?” asked Danny. “I mean have you been through this sort of thing before?”

Steve stretched his neck as he thought over the questions. “Well. A lot of it is going to depend on how much information they think they can get out of her. How long they think it’s worth keeping her around to torture. Or even you know how sadistic the fuckers are. I mean even if she doesn’t give them the information they want they could still torture her for the hell of it.” 

“But what exactly would you say the odds are of her walking away alive. I mean I would know if this were a basic kidnapping scheme it would be a no brainer. But this is not your average kidnapping scheme.”

Steve sighed and ran a hand along the back of his neck. “Not good. At the rate things are going I would have to say her odds of being found alive are about five percent.”

Danny sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned against Steve’s truck. “Five percent huh? Well I guess that’s better than one percent.”

“Guess so.” Steve agreed as Joe landed and the two of them waited for the helicopter to land before going up to meet the three men. 

“Steve.” William said solemnly as the men shook hands. “Thanks for helping with the search.”

Steve flashed a reassuring smile that didn’t reach his eyes and didn’t fool anyone as everyone else shook hands. “Hey don’t mention it. Happy to help. We are going to find her alive. I’m sure of it.”

For awhile all five men stood there silently staring at each other. 

Epps finally broke the silence. “No you aren’t.”

“No.” Steve agreed. “I’m not.”

“Well.” Danny said after a moment. “Let’s get back to HQ and get to work.”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri screamed as freezing water was hosed on her naked body to wash away the dirt, muck, and various other bodily fluids that clung to her. The ice cold water felt like pinpricks against her sensitive skin. They had handcuffed her hands above her head to a pipe high enough up so that her toes barely touched the ground. And the water pressure made it even harder to stand upright and ease some of the strain that was being put on her lungs so she could get some air into them. But she doubted she would get actual air into them instead of the water she was being sprayed down with. Eventually they turned the water off and left her alone in the darkened cell. She groaned, the sound echoing against the walls, as a headache started to pound its way out of her skull. She whimpered, attempting to keep it soft, but even the softest sound seemed to echo loudly in the room. And she was left alone with the loud sounds and the still present stench of urine, fecal matter, diarrhea, and who knew what else.

For awhile the only sound that filled the room was the water dripping onto the floor and the sound of her panting for breath, between her chattering teeth. She struggled to push herself higher up on her toes so she could get more air into her lungs; but it hurt too much to do it for long and coughing fits wrecked her body constantly. So she would always wind up giving up for awhile. 

She hung there limply as another coughing fit wrecked her body and she whimpered at the pain that exploded in her chest with each cough. The thick feeling of mucus crawling up her throat had her gagging as she tried to get it to come the rest of the way up. She spat it out but it only managed to trickle down her chin along with the taste of blood. 

The sound of something scratching against the stone floor filled the room loud and grating. She felt her heart spped up as the sound started to move closer, waiting for the feeling of rats crawling across her toes. But it never came and instead the sound seemed to start crawling up the walls and along the ceiling. She followed the rapidly increasing sounds or at least tried to follow them. But it was hard to follow all the different scratching noises. And the her rapid heartbeat pained her chest and ears with each pound. Her mouth dropped open to scream only to have it cut off with another coughing fit.

Something in the far side of the room caught her attention and she slowly looked in the direction of the door. She narrowed her eyes, straining them to peer into the darkness. Somehow she was able to see a dark bubbling mass as it slowly began to grow in size. When it stood to its full height, it was bent slightly at the back, because it was taller then the height of the six foot cell. Its long boney arms reached for her and she screamed. She sound echoing off the walls and drifting down the hallway to the captors who couldn’t help but snicker at the sound.

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Everyone sat around the table, empty take out containers from lunch pushed to the side as they went over every single photo and notes on the case they had for what felt like the millionth time. 

“Nothing,” said Robert pacing angrily in the room. “A month has passed by, nearly two, and we still don’t know what happened to her.”

“Yeah.” Chin said pushing a takeout container aside. “I mean I would have expected we would have at least found the body by now if she were dead.”

“Assuming there is a body to find.” Whispered Catherine softly.

“Let’s not go down that road just yet.” Said Steve. 

“When the fuck should we go down that road?!” snapped Robert, the tension and stress of the past few months finally reaching a boiling point.

“When we find her damn body.” Snapped Steve.

For a moment the two of them stared at each other, tempers bubbling to the surface. It was nearing seven at night and no one had eaten since lunch. 

“Well.” Said a new voice from the door. “Looks like I arrived just in time with reinforcements.”

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw a well dressed red head standing in the doorway. Her off the shoulder green dress flowed down to her knees, leaving enough skin to show off an impressive number of scars and freckles along her limbs and exposed neck. She held a bag of take out from one of the more expensive restaurants on the Island in one hand and a white can in the other. She was flanked by her personal assistant, Quinn, and her driver, Bai. Both of whom were also holding take out bags.

“Kota,” Chin greeted getting up to embrace her and take her bag while the others set about removing the food from the other bags and handing them out. “What are you doing here?”

“Well. Knowing you guys the way I do, I figured you guys haven’t eaten so I called in a favor at your favorite restaurant. And placed an order to be picked up when I left the benefit.”

“Yeah. About that. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry too much about it. I understand this is important. Just remember to grab some shut eye when you can. Alright?”

“Yeah.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll call when I can.”

“You better.”

“Hey Chin? Can we get back to work please?” Steve asked his mouth full of food. “Thanks for dinner Dakota.”

“No problem Steve.” The red head laughed.

Chin kissed her again before he rejoined the others at the table. They worked in silence as they poured over the notes and photos again, rearranging them over and over again looking for something new.

“Hey.” Steve said after awhile to Robert. “I’m sorry I snapped earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it. And for what it’s worth I’m sorry too.”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri lay curled up on her sisde in her darkened cell as more stomach cramps and headache kept her awake. She coughed in pain as she bit down on her thumb nail drawing blood. The coopery taste of blood slid across her tongue like silk helping to ease her parched throat. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten or slept for that matter. Slowly she sat up, her legs tangled in the thinning and fraying blanket and pressed her hand out to the side, feeling along the wall. She brought her other hand up and started writing on it. She wrote down the names of every NEST operative, human and cybertronian, that had died since she had been captured in blood on the wall. She knew who they were because the bastards that were holding her prisoner bragged about their deaths. They bragged about the raping, the torturing, the gruesome deaths her friends, her family had endured. 

So she wrote down their names. 

Scrambling for something to keep hold of what little sanity she felt she had left. Her ragged breathing filled the air and pounded in her ears. Everynow and then she would have to stop and lean her head against the impromto writing surface when she felt herself tire out. But she would eventually go back to adding name after name after name to the list. 

Mikaela Banes.

Sam Whiwicky.

Ron Whitwicky.

Judy Whitwicky.

Glen Whitmann.

Maggie Madsen.

Morgan Madsen.

Reggie Johnson.

Victor Tan.

Patrick O’Henry.

And on and on the list went. She was sure that some of the names blurred together or were written ontop of each other. But she didn’t care. Somehow she found the idea of the names being blurred or written one on top of the other beautifully symbolic.

She was in the middle of writing down a name when the door opened filling the room with intense bright light that blinded her and her captures walked into the room. A flash of anger filled her and she slowly turned to watch them approach flinching back with a hiss that turned into a coughing fit at the sudden light that invaded her personal space. When one of them reached for her, she surged forwarded and slammed her head against him. The man screamed as blood gushed from his nose and stumbled back, Meri used the moment to bring him down with her on top and proceeded to punch his face. When the man reached up to grab a fist full of her hair, she twisted her head around and dug her teeth into his arm. The coopery taste of blood filled her mouth and flowed over her tongue as she started to drank it hoping to quench her thirst. 

But she gagged as a coughing fit consumed her and she collapsed off of the man and onto her side. They surrounded her and while one of them wrapped himself around her the other slammed an object into her head, causing it to slam against the wall. She didn’t have the energy to fight them as they dragged her out of the room and fastened her on top of a large marble table. 

“Let’s try something new shall we?” the male asked, keeping his face in the shadows even as he hovered over her. “Where is Optimus Prime?”

Meri glared up at his shadowy figure having neither the energy nor the moisture in her mouth to spit at him. She opened her mouth and tried to croak out a reply before licking her lips and trying again.

“My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.” She said her voice hoarse from misuse and lack of hydration.

The man sighed and pulled away. “Get to work.”

Two more men stood over her and while one held her face still the other started to pour a bucket of ice cold water over her face. She tried to thrash her face around but the iron grip on her skull kept her still as water poured into her mouth and down her throat. The large amount of water being poured down her throat at once caused her to gag and attempt to cough it out in vein, only for it to be stopped by the already soaked rag. Finally they stopped pouring ice cold water down her throat and the two men were replaced by the leader. 

“Well?”

Meri didn’t answer, instead focusing more on struggling to cough up some of the water. 

“Alright.” The leader said moving out of her line of sight. “Be that way. Gentlemen continue.”

Meri felt her breath coming in quick gasps as she looked around wildly for an escape as the other two men returned to their previous positions. And the soaked rag was replaced in her mouth as a pitcher of hot water was poured down her mouth.

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri blinked against the bright lights of the room as she was slammed into the metal chair again. She stared at the tabletop blankly as her breaths came in short shaky bursts. Coughing from time to time as she focused on anything but the men in the room with her. 

“Have you decided to corporate with us now?”

She ignored him and continued to stare at the table, focusing more on the edge of the table then anything else. The leader let out an annoyed grunt and grabbed entangled his hand in her hair. He brought her head back, bending her neck backwards as far as it could go, before slamming it against the side of the table drawing blood. 

“Corporate and everything will be okay. I will give you a quick death you don’t deserve. Just like I did for the rest of the traitors.”

“My name is Meri-.”

The leader snarled in annoyance and shoved her head down, untangling his hands from her head and stepping away. The man continued to mutter under his breath in annoyance as he walked away to converse with one of the other men in the room with him. Meanwhile Meri watched transfixed as her blood trickled down onto her jeans from the gash on her head. She remembered the sharp pain that had shot through her when her head had connected with the table’s edge. She closed her eyes and took a steading breath before pulling her head back and bringing it straight down onto the table’s edge again. The sound of her head connecting with the edge seemed to echo off the room’s walls. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of her captures yelling as they ran to her. By the time they got to her she had slammed her head down two more times on the table’s edge. 

The leader sighed as he tried to stop the bleeding. “I’m not letting you get out of this that easily you stupid bitch.”

Meri moaned softly as her vision started to go black and the last thing she heard before passing out completely was the leader ordering his subordinates to patch her up before throwing her back into her cell. 

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

“Anything?” Chin asked as Will and Catherine joined them back at Five-0 headquarters.

“No.” Catherine said coming up to the board and scratching out one of the possible locations. “Nothing.”

“Ten more possible locations.” Will said softly.

“And we are quickly losing valuable time.” Steve said entering the room with Danny.

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri coughed as she huddled in the corner of her dark cell, shivering as the icy cold seeped into her bones. Her captors kept changing up the temperature in her cell from extreme cold to extreme heat. Making it hard to sleep or concentrate on anything that would help her survive. She sobbed, the sound echoing loudly around her as her stomch cramps rolled through her. The creature that had shown up ealier, sat crouched in the corner, its heavy breathing filling the room. She stared at it waiting for it to move or do something aside from stare at her. It did it whenever they were in the room together and she was sick of it.

“STOP STARING AT ME!” she screamed, but her voice is hoarse and even though its more of a croak it still aggrivates her headache to unbearable levels and sent her into a coughing fit. 

She shudders, feeling the trembles that race along her body get even worse. 

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Catherine quickly shut her phone off and ran down the hall to where the others were.

“We found her!” she shouted bursting into the room. “I pulled some strings and called in some favors and it paid off. We found her! We know where she is!”

Will grabbed the map and rolled it out in front of them. “Show us.”

 

My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.

 

Meri shuddered as the door to her cell opened and she watched apathetically as two men walked in and grabbed her from the floor of her cell. They hauled her to her feet, draped her arms over their shoulders, and dragged her down the hall. The harsh grip they had on her hurt and pressed roughly against her hollowed ribs and tender joints. She struggled to breathe, not only from the position she was in but also from the crude in her lungs. As they walked through the hall her already raw and infected feet passed over the rough cement floors, but she was too exhausted to do anything but struggle for air. They carried her into the interrogation room and dumped her into the chair. 

“Hello again. Are you ready to cooperate with us now?”

Meri didn’t answer and settled for staring at him blankly. 

“Well.” The man continued. “At least you haven’t started on with that Autobot shit.”

Meri continued to stare at him impassively. 

“Can I take your silence as proof that you have finally given in?”

Still nothing.

Sigh. “Very well. Meri. I guess we will have to take up where we were. Though I doubted you will survive another round.”

The man signaled to the men who had dragged her into the room. One of them slammed a hand down on her shoulder just as explosion rocked the room. One of the walls gave way, sending everyone flying to the far wall. Meri lay motionless from her spot on the floor near the wall as a two people stormed into the room, firing on the three men who were with her. 

One of them crouched near her and strapped the gun back onto his back as he gathered her into his arms. “Meri?”

Meri stared up at him blankly and opened her mouth to speak but only a raspy mewl escaped. 

“Meri?” 

The person holding her pushed the head covering down and she found herself staring blearily up at a face she couldn’t focus on. 

Will stared in horror at the state of Meri, her body was burning up and her hair clung to her face and neck which was damp with sweat. Her bones were poking out of her skin and he could practically hear how bad her lungs were. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent and she had pronounced bags under her eyes. She moaned in pain as she stared up at him, she curled in on herself as a coughing fit overtook her and blood and mucus trailed out of her mouth. 

“My name is Meri Banes. And I am an Autobot.”

Now and Forever.


End file.
